When you’re a mom, you quickly learn to master the fine art of Mommy-Multi-Tasking. You need to make it work, make it happen, and make everyone happy. After having kids, I’m the Super Woman of multi-tasking. Did you know I can braid my daughter’s hair, kick a soccer ball to my son, chat on the phone with my mom, and plan dinner in my head all at the same time? It’s true, and in fact, right now I’m performing open heart surgery and making pancakes for my kids.

All this multi-tasking makes me feel like I can keep everything in this house picture perfect. Sort of like this:

But really, most days it’s more like this:

Even with amazing multi-tasking abilities, there’s never enough time to get everything done. Having a spotless house would make me really happy, but it’s just not realistic. However, I’ve got a few life hacks that will help you manage the chaos in your home and make the most stressful chores a lot easier.

• Make garbage duty less of a dirty job by attaching small Command hooks upside down on both sides of the can and loop the drawstrings onto the hooks. Now your garbage bag will always stay in place! Also, line the bottom of the garbage can with yesterday’s newspaper to catch any spilled liquids and soak up odors.
• Cut down on laundry sorting by throwing everyone’s socks in a mesh bag. Toss the bag in the washer and dryer and finally solve the mystery of where do missing socks go.
• Are you thinking “I just did all this laundry and now I have to put it away?” Yes, you do, but I’m going to show you how to hang clothes in record time.

• The witching hour in this house is right before dinner because the kids want to eat ALL THE FOOD NOW, and I don’t want them to spoil dinner with too many snacks. Ease those tantrums with small and healthy snacks while you whip up dinner with my snack bins in the fridge and pantry system. Find it here!
• Does your kid have an army of stuffed animals that have waged a war on their rooms? Let them put all those stuffed animals inside a bean bag chair cover for a creative and practical storage solution.
• Got a dumper in your house? You know, the kid that dumps all their toy bins the minute you turn your back. Simplify your storage system by putting a picture of a character or type toy that should go in each stackable storage bin. All princesses go in one drawer, trains in another, and blocks in another. Even the youngest dumper can help clean up by sorting the toys based on the pictures.
• Have toys taken over bath time? Put a shower tension rod low on the back of the bathtub and attach hooked baskets. The baskets keep everything up and away and let the toys drain so you don’t have to worry about mold. If your kids are older, move the rod higher and store everyone’s shower supplies in the baskets.
• If the floor of your vehicle looks like a buffet of snacks, dirt and things you’re not too sure about, welcome to the club, but there’s hope. Line the floor of your car with long rag rugs from the dollar store. The ridges of the rag rugs help catch all the crumbs and falling debris and cut down on vacuuming. You can even use blue painter’s tape or double stick tape to secure the rugs to the floor. When you’re ready to clean, shake the rugs out, throw them in the laundry, vow to never let your car get that messy again, break that vow the next day, and smile because this hack is saving your sanity.
• Line all the cup holders in your car with silicone muffin cups. Don’t forget the ones in the back! The muffin cups are a perfect catchall for spills, change, and any surprises your kids left for you. Just rinse the cups when dirty and they’re ready to use again.
• Dinner is done, but no one wants to scrub the pots and pans. Just toss a dryer sheet into your cookware, fill with warm soapy water, and soak overnight! The grease and grime come right off with NO scrubbing!
• Keep your garbage disposal cleaned and smelling great by filling an ice cube tray with a white vinegar and few hunks of lemon, rinds and all. When the cubes are frozen solid, toss a few down the disposal and turn the disposal on. Your disposal is sanitized, has a fresh smell, and the blades are sharpened by the ice cubes

Now take some time for yourself to relax. Maybe do some yoga, or just wear yoga pants. To be honest, both make feel really zen.